PRINTER'S NO. 227
No. 54 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY RUBLEY, ARGALL, BAKER, BALDWIN, BARRAR, BEBKO-
JONES, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD, BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI,
CAUSER, CORNELL, CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, CRUZ, CURRY, DERMODY,
DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO,
FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FORCIER, FRANKEL,
FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARHART, HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY,
HESS, HUTCHINSON, JAMES, KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, KILLION, LEACH,
LEDERER, LESCOVITZ, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MANN, MARSICO, McCALL,
McGILL, McILHATTAN, McILHINNEY, MELIO, S. MILLER, MUSTIO,
PALLONE, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PISTELLA, READSHAW, REED,
REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, ROHRER, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER,
SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SEMMEL, SHANER, B. SMITH, STURLA, SURRA,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRUE, TURZAI, WALKO,
WASHINGTON, WATERS, WILT, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG AND WATSON,
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring the week of February 13 through 19, 2005, as "Child
2 Passenger Safety Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, In 2003, motor vehicle crashes were the leading
4 cause of death for children of every age from 2 to 14 years of
5 age; and
6 WHEREAS, In 2003, children under 16 years of age accounted
7 for 2,570 of all vehicle occupant fatalities and 290,000 of all
8 the vehicle occupant-injured crashes; and
9 WHEREAS, From 1975 through 2002, an estimated 6,567 lives
10 were saved by the use of child restraints. In 2002, an estimated
1 376 children who were under five years of age were saved as a
2 result of child restraint use. If 100% of motor vehicle
3 occupants under five years of age were protected by child safety
4 seats, an estimated 485 lives could have been saved, that is an
5 additional 109 lives could have been saved if every child was
6 restrained in 2002; and
7 WHEREAS, Research shows that children are likely to be
8 buckled 92% of the time when adults are buckled, and only 72% of
9 the time when adults are not buckled; and
10 WHEREAS, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
11 Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats, when correctly used,
12 can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by
13 54% for toddlers in passenger cars; and
14 WHEREAS, All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
15 and the United States Territories have enacted laws requiring
16 the use of child passenger protection systems; and
17 WHEREAS, Many child passenger safety seats are misused in
18 some way and correct placement and harnessing are critical to
19 ensure adequate protection; and
20 WHEREAS, Infants should always be placed in rear-facing seats
21 until they are at least one year of age and weigh 20 pounds; and
22 WHEREAS, Children who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds should
23 be placed in forward-facing safety seats; and
24 WHEREAS, All children who have outgrown child safety seats
25 should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at
26 least eight years of age, unless they are four feet nine inches
27 tall; and
28 WHEREAS, Children in rear-facing child seats should not be
29 placed in the front seat of vehicles with passenger air bags as
30 the impact of a deploying air bag on a rear-facing child seat
20050H0054R0227 - 2 -
1 could injure the child; and
2 WHEREAS, Children 12 years of age and younger should ride in
3 the back seat; and
4 WHEREAS, Death and injury may be significantly reduced
5 through greater public awareness, information, education and
6 enforcement of child passenger safety seat laws; therefore be it
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, in recognition
8 of every child's right to adequate protection when being
9 transported in a motor vehicle, declare the week of February 13
10 through 19, 2005, as "Child Passenger Safety Week" in
11 Pennsylvania.
A14L82JAM/20050H0054R0227 - 3 -